In which Rachel passes her EMT practicum

This was a good but busy week. I passed my EMT practicum and got an A in the EMT class. Now I'm all ready to sign up for the NREMT (national registry exam for EMTs). I hear is the hardest test I'll ever take in my life. I thought the MCAT would be the hardest test I took in my life, so we'll see if the NREMT beats that. I'll keep you updated. Otherwise the week was pretty uneventful. Filled with studying, going to my part time job at the nursing home, training for my part-time job as a medical scribe, volunteering, and tests. The highlight of the week is that it was the birthday of a good friend of mine and we went on a couple of adventures to celebrate.

Happy Easter to all those who celebrate! 

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood, by Liesl Shurtliff

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood, by Liesl Shurtliff
ARC provided by Random House Children's through NetGalley
in exchange for a fair and honest review

In this fun adventure story, Red goes on a journey to find a magical healing potion for her Granny, who's sick. On the way, she unwillingly adopts a friend and fellow-traveler named Goldie, finds out the secrets of the Big Bad Wolf, and generally learns a lot of lessons about the value of life. This is a cute fairy tale retelling, appropriate for ages 8-12 years. It's a bite-sized snack for those of us who gobble up fairy tale retellings - except this story is more like fairy tale fan-fic than an actual retelling. The plot is nothing like that of Little Red Riding Hood or of Goldilocks. It uses the characters and their basic personality traits to make a whole new story. This approach to the tale makes it refreshing because you really don't know what's going to happen next. 

In which Rachel takes a part-time job as a medical scribe

Well, my first week of tests for the EMT class is over. These were just practice tests - one practice test for the EMT certification exam and one for the National Registry practicum. I did adequately in both, and am hoping to pass both real exams soon. On next Monday I take the real practicum, on Wednesday I take the class final exam, and sometime in the next month I'll take the NREMT (certification exam). Then I can start looking for an EMT position!

The Last Week, by Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan

The Last Week, by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan
Narrated by John Pruden

The Last Week brings to light the historical meaning (as Borg and Crossan see it) of the last week of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Mark. This book was very interesting, though lacked the power of The First Christmas, which I reviewed previously. The main reason for this difference is that The First Christmas told the story of Christmas by comparing all the Gospel stories, as opposed to focusing on just one. Borg and Crossan chose to focus on Mark because he's the only one to have described the entire week in detail. However it made for a much less interesting, and more repetitive, book. Another difference was that in The First Christmas, Borg and Crossan focused a lot on why they thought some passages were parable rather than literal, and why others should be taken literally. The Last Week focused a lot less on this subject, and spent the bulk of the book simply interpreting the historical background of Mark's Gospel for our modern times. This, of course, is a very interesting subject, but the lack of that added myth vs. literal aspect made for a much less meaty book. 

In which Rachel has her last week of EMT lectures

Happy Daylight Saving weekend everyone! Not much happened this week out here in Rachel-land. The weather is beautiful, and I've been able to take some nice long walks around a lake - we have 10,000 of them out here in MN. ;) 

The Serpent King, by Jeff Zentner

The Serpent King, by Jeff Zentner

Dill is no stranger to hardship. He's dirt poor, financially supporting his mother, and seems to have zero future prospects. His father, a snake-handling preacher, is in prison; many of his former parishioners blame Dill. Yet Dill has two things that keep him getting up in the morning - his friends Travis and Lydia. The three are strikingly different but are pushed together by their mutual status as social outcasts. 

In which Rachel goes on an Ambulance Ride-Along

First of all, thanks for everyone who has been commenting on my blog despite my disappearance. I plan on getting back to all of your blogs soon, but I've been concentrating on studying for the onslaught of tests at the end of my EMT class. I have to do well or else I won't pass my national exams. I'll keep you updated on how I'm doing. :)